By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press:
Published October 13, 2025ISRAEL (BP) – Israeli families are relieved Hamas released 20 living hostages but grieve that bodies of remaining hostages are still held or missing, the leader of a top care group serving traumatized families told Baptist Press.
Naomi Nussbaum, executive director of the One Family humanitarian outreach to Israeli survivors of terrorism, said families also fear future attacks from the nearly 2,000 terrorists and prisoners Israel released in the peace deal.
“This is not pure joy,” Nussbaum told Baptist Press. “This is tainted joy.
“Because if 84 percent of released criminals have gone back to commit more rapes, murders, terrorist attacks, we know that it’s not a good thing for them to be walking around in society right now, to release 2 ,000 prisoners,” Nussbaum said. “There’s going to be a price to pay in the future for that. … They were in prison for a reason.”
See also:
- Israel-Hamas war: Hostages and Palestinian prisoners released | AP News
- Who are the 20 hostages released by Hamas? (NBC News)
- Freed hostages suffered torture, starvation and long periods of isolation -- reports | The Times of Israel
- Live updates: Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal and hostage release news | CNN